product review: pana chocolate

I am in love. Today I gleefully received nine bars of Pana Chocolate in the mail to review. In this case, review literally means eat. Yes, on this glorious day my job is to eat chocolate. Indeed, I be living dat high life. I must say that the chocolate is absolutely delicious (I did say I was in love, didn't I?) and basically it's what I make at home, which is perfect because I don't like putting anything mysterious into my body. All we've got here is some cacao powder, coconut oil, and dark agave. With each different flavour there are other ones added like orange essential oil, cinnamon, nuts, and other goodies you crave.

All the ingredients are raw, organic and - I felt the vibes - made with love. Plus you cannot resist their adorable packaging. Look at the little mascot! He loves cacao, I love cacao, we got zero problems. Another bonus is how many mind-blowing flavours they offer! Just look at the first picture to see some options. If you don't like things too sweet, then Pana is perfect for you. You get just a hint of agave as an aftertaste, but the cacao is the shining star. My mom is NOT big on sweets so I think she appreciated this. 

Think chocolate cannot fit into a healthy lifestyle? Think again. I rant all the time about how raw chocolate is the greatest thing since green smoothies and I mean it. Is cacao the secret to long life like some people claim? Probably not, but it sure tastes delicious, and it's great for you. It has outrageous amounts of fibre, magnesium and iron. and can provide lots of energy for your busy day. I think of it in a similar way as coffee - it's a terrific supplement to enjoy every few days in moderation, if you like it. 

If you're looking for high quality, kind, wholesome sweet treats - check out Pana Chocolate. They've got you covered... in chocolate. 

product review: nature's happiness

Hey, folks! Today I give you some insider info about an awesome company called Nature's Happiness. (The name is a good start.) They call themselves an organic super food store and I think that is a great description. They were kind enough to send me some products to review. I was given way more than I was expecting, and truly love everything I tried. All the products are raw, vegan and organic. They sent me spirulina powder, maca root powder, HURRAW! lip balm, cacao nibs. yerba mate tea, and coconut flakes - sweet! 

Well actually, the spirulina powder is super bitter but I got used to it pretty fast. Reminds me of wheat grass. It's a total superstar in the nutritional kingdom because it has crazy amounts of chlorophyll and protein. That's a good thing. I like to add it to smoothies and juice - it is such a fine powder I don't even notice it - for an extra hit of green goodness. 

The maca powder had a unique flavour I'd never experienced before, which I quickly developed a liking for. Some people think it tastes weird but I like it, as long as it's paired with something sweet. It's fun to add to things with chocolate. I have used it in truffles and as a topping on a vanilla chocolate cake. 

Speaking of chocolate - the cacao nibs are fabulous as well. I like the more intense, unprocessed flavour it gives to recipes (compared to cocoa) and the energy boost it I feel after consuming it. Hurraw for raw chocolate! And cake... and truffles... 

The coconut flakes are probably my favourite because they just taste so RAW. Normally I just get unsweetened, organic, dried coconut chunks but the ones from Nature's Happiness practically melt in your mouth. They are so unrefined and delicate. I sprinkle them on almost everything, including the chocolate caramel cups at the top of this post. And a kiwi tart I made two days ago. 

The yerba mate tea is really delicious and makes me feel good all around. That's all I have to say about that. 

Lastly, the HURRAW! lip balm is awesome. I had one before but now I have three! They sent me two different kinds: coconut, green tea. I love them all but the plain coconut one is probably my favourite. The ingredients are ones that I use myself like jojoba oil, coconut oil, and essential oils. They taste great and make my lips soft. Plus - it's the only raw lip balm I know of. And of course, totally vegan. 

Check out Nature's Happiness online on their website, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

product review: zukay raw veggie drinks

The generous folks over at Zukay Live Foods were kind enough to send me some delicious fermented vegetable drinks - traditionally called Kvass - to taste test. They pride themselves on creating and providing naturally probiotic drinks and salad dressings that help to combat the effects of the Standard American Diet. They describe their products as being made from "raw, organic, farm fresh veggies that are fermented in the ancient traditions, using only wild cultures [they] hand-batch [them]selves". You can learn more on their website linked here.

So what did I think of their raw Kvass? Well they were thoughtful enough to send me 3 different flavours: Beet, Super Green and Veggie Medley. My favourite is the Green which shouldn't come as a surprise for those who know my obsession and love for kale. To be honest, when I first took a sip my immediate thought was "This tastes like pickle juice..." but then I quickly got used to the flavour of the fermented cucumber and it actually started tasting sweet. I think it's because I was expecting something like Kombucha (my other favourite raw fermented drink) which is quite sweet.

Anyways - you soon get used to the taste and then start to like it. It helps knowing that these beverages are nutrient-packed and completely raw. There really is nothing like this on the market, speaking of - I hope to see Zukay in my own Canadian grocery stores soon! I give this product my stamp of approval (do they sell physical Approval Stamps?) and recommend it to anyone willing to try a refreshing drink that's healthy and different!

raw fig bars with almond and figs from shiloh farms

today i bring you an inspired treat, rawified: fig bars! shiloh farms, an organic whole foods company based in the states, sent me some of their products for free to use and review! yippie for me! they were kind enough to mail me more than i asked for. i got extra alfalfa seeds! i also received black mission figs and raw almonds. while they were in the mail i decided what i would make with them - fig bars (as you may have guessed).

they are delicious! they remind me of a raisin butter tarts. imagine if a fig bar and a raisin tart had a baby (don't worry about logistics here okay, humour me)... then make it raw and vegan and you've got one of these! yum. i won't make this post too long because you probably just want the recipe BUT ALSO my friend just got here and we gotta make some juice! WOO.

as far as my review of the products goes - i love shiloh farms! the figs were delicious, satisfying and full of flavour; the almonds tasted really fresh and actually RAW; i am going to sprout the alfalfa seeds and let you know how that turns out. 

raw fig bars: makes 9 big bars

crust:
1 cup walnuts
1 cup almonds
1 heaping cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

filling:
2 cups dried figs, soaked in water for 2-4 hours (keep the water!)
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

topping:
1 1/2 cups pecans

to make the crust: process the nuts in your food processor until you get really fine pieces - like flour. alternately you could use oat flour here. add the raisins and cinnamon. if it's not sticky enough, add some dates or maple syrup. press into a 9X9 pan or shape it yourself on parchment paper, that's what i did.

to make the filling: blend the figs, maple syrup/agave and salt in the food processor (no need to wash it yet), adding the soak water as needed to make it smooth but still quite thick. spread this on the crust but keep a little less than 1/4 cup of it in the food processor...

to make the topping: add the pecans to the food processor (with the leftover fig mixture) and pulse until there are small nut chunks, but not too fine. sprinkle this on top of the fig filling and press down a little. cut and enjoy! i sliced the sides off mine to make it a nice square so i had these extra strips of fig bar... i made fig nut milk! just blend it with water.

raw vegan hair care

you love the raw vegan lifestyle (or not...) but what is one to do with their hair while staying stay raw vegan!? all the shampoos out there are full of chemicals, unsustainable ingredients and tested on animals, right?

nope.

there's a PLETHORA of righteous, sustainable, animal-friendly, health-delivering products from awesome vegan hair and body care companies out there. their stuff usually isn't even that pricey (especially when you consider what you're supporting). some examples of such companies are lush, kiss my face, jason, dessert essence organics, avalon organics, nature's gate, BWC (beauty without cruelty), devita, 100% pure, sevi, and countless others. check them ALL out here for yourself.

one more company i want to mention is morrocco method. recently they contacted me and asked if i would like to review their products (DUH I WOULD!) they specialize in hair care. all their ingredients are raw, organic, gluten-free, wholesome and vegan. seriously, the ingredient list is so simple and straightforward.

they sent me chi essence shampoo and pearl essence creme rinse. i'm being totally honest when i say i LOVE THEM. i wouldn't lie to you guys.

i've been making my own shampoo and conditioner for years now because i couldn't find any on the market that (a) had acceptable ingredients, (b) that i couldn't just make better myself, and (c) that gave better results than my hand-made stuff. but i think i've finally found something special. it's basically like i DID make these myself, except they work better (and smell better...) they're also quite affordable considering you're buying wild-crafted, raw, vegan, organic, natural, cruelty-free, gluten-free products that support sustainability.

my hair was shining, stronger and smooth within a few days. i got more impressive results with these than my own hand-made shampoo and conditioner.

i highly recommend morrocco method for anyone with hair... 

that's probably you. 

now wash your gorgeous locks and listen to this wonderful album: